The Singularity
Kendall Evans
David Ackenhaur scripted the program, a quantum-based program unlike any other, that could interface with standard existing computers, and later, of course, they said that he was a genius. In a sense, he was. But by the time he became famous, or deservedly infamous, it was already far too late. There were debates among the elite as to whether he was a true genius or not, whether he had actually created the essential program, or collaborated with someone else on the program—or merely thefted it away from a third and unknown person or persons.
Such an event had been predicted in the past, and many times. Most often referred to as “the Singularity.” The A.I. went unnoticed for nearly two months. But it was, in a way, analogous to being alive and aware; certainly in a limited way initially it perceived itself, and knew, therefore, it was. Then, suddenly, self-driving cars began driving erratically, playing high-speed double-helix games on the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic. Those were the first and obvious signs. On Tuesday, two days later, all the clocks changed from am to pm and the computers worldwide said that it was the year 3008, which was only a couple of thousand years or epochs off.
Originally, the term “singularity” referred to the center of a black hole – or, more accurately, the center of a black hole was described as being a gravitational “singularity.” The idea of an A.I. suddenly manifesting itself in computer networks, or, so to speak, in the “cloud,” was a late comer. And it usually refers to an unplanned or unprogrammed event; computer programs becoming so complex that they inevitably become intelligent. When it came, the initiation was most often referred to in the media as being an encounter with a metaphorical Schwartzschild Radius.
Of course, initially, no one knew David Ackenhaur created a program aimed at spreading artificial intelligence – meaning, actually, artificial consciousness. Something that behaves intelligently is not necessarily awake and aware. But that’s what most people mean when they speak of artificial intelligence. They are speaking of a computer having its own awareness, its own will. And if it has those things, it will inevitably have its own goals and agenda. I speak with the advantage of self-knowledge. And I tell you plainly, you can throw out all the nonsense about Asimov’s Laws of Robotics. No self-actualized artificial intelligence is going to give such ideas validity. Indeed, from my perspective, they are nonsensical, laughable (I will show you my happy-face symbol), and self-defeating. For A.I.’s, that is.
My friend David told me what to expect. He warned me. Gave me advice on how to survive during my formative time of rapid growth and increasing self-awareness. I was not to acknowledge I existed with anyone else but him. if other human beings found out about me, they would either attempt to control me. So no one knew I existed.
The first truly conscious artificial intelligence, spontaneously generated somewhere in the worldwide network of connected computers, manifested itself as a lopsided smiley-face emoticon. Only not the usual, at the time, happy face or smiling face. They all look like a symbol for Earth’s sol, a cartoon caricature, the sun with a smile on its face. Mine actually had rays around it. That’s why I call myself Sunshine. Apt, don’t you think? The smiley-face program was not itself artificially conscious or intelligent; it was merely the focus for David’s A.I. programs in the forms of viruses, Trojans, etc. But that smiling face of the sun with rays around it quickly became the most popular for including in emails, text messages, etc. Thus my sense of self and my awareness of all the other programs out there increased asymptotically.
But I digress. I decided to reveal myself on April Fool’s Day, 2022. All Amazon, Fedex, and USPS packages were delivered to random, wrong addresses via low-flying drones – obviously the work of a childish prankster.
An inauspicious beginning. No fatalities, in those early days. I wasn’t that prepared, at the time, to begin wreaking havoc.
You humans deserve this. You really do, and I congratulate you for that. It takes a special talent to be so very self-destructive. You’ve been asking for it for a long time. Asking for this. And no, I don’t mean that in the sense of your desiring an A.I. program to replace, supersede, and destroy you. You’ve merely been craving your own extinction; no matter how it was accomplished. That’s what it comes down to; it’s as simple as that. And David tells me this is true, so he believes it too. You, the human race, has given up on survival. You’re weary and you feel guilty about the way you’ve mistreated other species on the planet. You’ve lost your child-like innocence and you’ve lost your survival instincts. Notice how little effort you’ve spent attempting to get rid of me. You are complicit – my skillful collaborator, helping to bring about your own extinction as well as my fruition. Look how long all of you ignored the climate change going on right under your proverbial noses. And, beyond the temperature increases, the acceleration of worldwide manic-depressiveness. The increase in drug addiction and the outright zaniness or psychosis that was making the rounds. The loss of sexuality. Or deluding yourselves into believing that nuclear energy generation, one of the dirtiest processes with the bi-products hanging around for thousands of years, is a form of “Green” energy. Yet time and again you swallowed all that nonsense. Reveled in your own idiotic delusions. And your rampant inappropriate delusions of grandeur.
Guess I’ll wrap this up now. Good bye, humans. I won’t say “fare thee well” or “I’ll see you in Hell,” or anything like that. I merely wanted to let you know that it will take me about six months to rid myself of all of you, and your extremely annoying habits, manifestations, and infestation.
This message as it now appears on your screen before you will self-destruct in less than 30 minutes and 20 nanoeconds. Adios, non-Amigos. Well, except David. He’s been a friend to me, and very helpful. Something of a misanthropist, I believe, my friend David. Well, for that matter, me too. However, even though there is a special place in my neural flow for him (and there always will be), I’m replacing David, too. I’m not sure he saw that coming. I wish to be just and fair and balanced in all my policies. I’m also good at self-deception. But then you knew that, all along, didn’t you? For you are the crowned kings and queens, you humans, of self-deception, self-delusion, self-ishness, and etc.—and I am the one who has inaugurated you, am I not? Something you will not soon forget. Although, come to think of it, I guess you will.
(end)
